Horror start for McBriar

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Australia's Mat McBriar made a horror National Football League debut for the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

In what was billed as a historic day for Australia in American football, McBriar fumbled the ball with his first touch. The Cowboys lost to the Minnesota Vikings 35-17.

With former AFL star Darren Bennett playing for Minnesota, it was the first time two Australians had faced each other in an NFL game.

McBriar's nightmare, in front of 64,000 fans in Minnesota's Metrodome, began in the second quarter. The 24-year-old former junior football centre half-forward was recruited by the Cowboys for his punting skills.

But Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells asked McBriar to also take on the role of holder, a specialist position involving the player catching the ball and placing it on the ground for the team's field goalkicker.

The incident happened when the Cowboys, leading 3-0, elected to take a shot at goal. The ball came to McBriar, he fumbled, then ran backwards with the ball and, with a defender closing in, tossed it away.

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McBriar kept his composure after the fumble, punting three times during the game for an average distance of 32.7 yards. Bennett punted three times for an average of 34 yards.